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"Most gulls don't bother to learn more than the simplest facts of flight--how to get from shore to food and back again," writes author Richard Bach in this allegory about a unique bird named Jonathan Livingston Seagull. "For most gulls it is not flying that matters, but eating. For this gull, though, it was not eating that mattered, but flight." Flight is indeed the metaphor that makes the story soar. Ultimately this is a fable about the importance of seeking a higher purpose in life, even if your flock, tribe, or neighborhood finds your ambition threatening. (At one point our beloved gull is even banished from his flock.) By not compromising his higher vision, Jonathan gets the ultimate payoff: transcendence. Ultimately, he learns the meaning of love and kindness. The dreamy seagull photographs by Russell Munson provide just the right illustrations--although the overall packaging does seem a bit dated (keep in mind that it was first published in 1970). Nonetheless, this is a spirituality classic, and an especially engaging parable for adolescents. --Gail Hudson
Book Description
People who make their own rules when they know they're right...people who get a special pleasure out of doing something well (even if only for themselves)...people who know there's more to this whole living thing than meets the eye: they'll be with Jonathan Seagull all the way. Others may simply escape into a delightful adventure about freedom and flight. Either way it's an uncommon treat.
Customer Reviews:
Believe in More Than Flying..........2007-09-29
What can I say of Jonathan Livingston Seagull that doesn't make me smile..From being referenced as Jonathan myself by family members to re-reading the book at every life milestone, this book has been a part of my life.
It doesn't matter if you believe in idealism or realism. JLS enables us all to believe in much more than flying. We can reach new heights only if we try. We can challenge the status quo only if we believe in ourselves.
Even if you have read this book before, try reading it again. You will find something different this time.
Great for jr. high students.......2007-08-25
I think this is a cute story that younger readers will appreciate. I'm not sure why there is so much hatred for this little book. If it's not for you there are plenty of other books out there to read. As a librarian, I must say that there is too much negativity in our culture towards what people read. Let people read what they like. Reading at any level improves vocabulary and comprehension. Snobbishness towards reading materials is especially counter productive. Just say why it wasn't for you and leave it at that.
Cliche Passed off as a Meaningful Story.......2007-08-21
My father read one book to me while I was growing up - "Jonathan Livingston Seagull." I was about 8 and he was going through his self-awakening and self-realization period. He received great meaning from the book and I thought - as an 8 year-old - that it was just a stupid book. I remember not understanding the book very well as he read it to me but more so, not understanding why my father was reading a book to me. I didn't know how to respond, how to act, what to say as this strange man read a strange book to me. The book meant something to him but by the fact that he was reading it to an 8 year-old was proof that he was doing it for himself, not me. I couldn't wait until he finished so I could go watch "The Brady Bunch."
I revisited the book as an adult and still thought it was a ridiculous cliche and unoriginal in its story and execution. Perhaps my childhood memories tainted my adult view of the book (of course they did) but I think you can read the book now and wonder why it was considered so unique and groundbreaking in its time. I realize we can read books like "Seagull" and "I'm Okay, You're Okay" more than 30 years later and think they are absolutely moronic because many of us didn't grow up as adults in the 1960s and 70s. But good literature DOES stand the test of time and man, this book doesn't cut it. It is pablum and shouldn't even be wasted on children.
A sublime and inspirational fable about the timeless quest for higher meaning .......2007-08-20
This is a sublime and inspirational fable about the timeless quest for higher meaning ... told in this case though the eyes of an sensitive, lonely, and highly intelligent seagull, named Johnathan.
I first read it when I was in high school, and at the time it moved me ... very deeply. I also grew up, and still live, near the ocean, where seagulls always maintain a constant presence - which made the metaphorical vehicle for this story particularly apt in my case. It remains one of my very favorite books, even to this day.
The truly amazing thing (the thing that elevates this book to a 10) is how elegantly, simply, and deftly the author covers such profound material, with such a minimum of effort and words. The book weighs in at a mere 128 pages ... over half of them B&W photos of seagulls ... so it's actually less than 60 pages of text. If you reformatted it to small, normal size print, it'd probably drop to about 30 pages. I recently re-read it in about 2 hours, so it's a very fast read - but it's tiny size is greatly outweighed by it's impact. One could easily argue that the story is prose poetry, rather than a short story, because of it's well honed cadence.
I highly recommend this gem for anyone (particularly those in their teens and twenties) who's groping about for their emotional, spiritual, and intellectual niche in society, and life in general.
Life can be hard, lonely and painful at times - but every once in a while we stumble across a rare gem ... be it a person or a moment or a song or a book or the touch of a friendly hand ... that helps us catch a glimpse of what it's really all about, and which lets us know that we're not alone, and that there are others out there, like us, who occasionally 'get it' too.
For music lovers, there's also a lovingly produced full length orchestral album (by Neil Diamond) that was inspired by this book.
Highly recommended.
It Was Inspirational.......2007-08-04
Many will pan this masterpiece by Richard Bach as fuzzy and warm. But it is Jonathan Livingston Seagull's simplicity which allows the book to be vulnerable in this respect. However, this vulnerability, this love, allows it to soar. It's message is so simple -- desire is everything -- and so immutable, that it reaches to beyond the heights of hman expeience.
This book is on my friend Marcia Makepeace's ten favorite books. I agree. Jonathan Livingston Seagull has risen from its following in the 70's, to inspire another generation in the miracle of its message.
Book Description
Covering the thirty-six species of gulls that occur in North and South America, this unparalleled resource includes detailed identification information for the many plumages gulls display as they mature. More than just a field guide, this large and ambitious volume is the definitive reference work on gulls of the Americas. A group of birds that is popular among birdwatchers, gulls can be frustrating to identify, as they can take up to four years to mature, with different plumages each year. With 1,160 photographs illustrating these plumages, and descriptions by two of North America’s top gull experts, this new reference guide is the authoritative word on gulls.
Customer Reviews:
Simply the best gull guide........2007-09-11
This is a heavy book, so it will not be practical to carry as a field guide. Other than that, this is by far the most up to date, best researched guide to Gulls that you will find today.
I am an avid bird watcher and hopeless collector of bird guides, and this one sets the bar for a family specific guide. Outstanding photos and precise text make this guide a must have for any serious watcher of Gulls.
The best book on gulls EVER!.......2007-08-24
This is the best book on gulls ever! There are at least ten full color, extremely detailed photos for each species. On the captions for the photo it names the bird and gives what state of its life it is at, it describes the photo of the bird, and it gives the location, and date of the photo and the photographers name. On some photos there is a gull in the background and so that adds a little test to the book.
The species accounts are exquisite, and the range maps are amazingly detailed.
I recommend this book to every birder! Especially those of you who wish to go looking for rarities.
This book is a must for beginner birders and experts too!
Premier Gull Guide.......2007-08-05
This book is great for gull fanciers; it's exhaustively researched and presented but heavy to use in the field.
Valuable information but may be hard to digest.......2007-07-07
"Gulls of the Americas" is packed with information, but this book isn't much fun. I suspect only hard-core gull watchers will want to use this book.
There is a very useful introductory section, and the authors encourage their readers to study the introduction before moving on to the rest of the book, but I suspect many readers will find their eyes glazing over before they get very far. The main part of the book is divided into a 251 page section of photos and a 192 page section of species accounts. The photos do a good job of illustrating the various plumages of the gulls, but the photos are small, and aren't really a lot of fun to look at. The species accounts are thorough and clearly written but rather dry. The photos and species accounts are separate, and it can be awkward to go back and forth between them. I expect this book will come in handy when I come across gulls that are difficult to identify, but I wish the people who put together the book had made it more user-friendly.
Wow! So much information, so many pictures........2007-06-10
Gull identification is complicated and difficult. This book is jam packed full of many, many details about Gull identification. It has exceeded my expectations with its wealth of information and excellent photos. The authors are clearly experts and have dedicated a significant portion of their lives to the sometimes esoteric and always intriguing world of gull identification. The book also provides an excellent introduction (which is a must read if you are to get the most out of it) that gives a background on the details of molt cycles, feather tract terms, etc...
This book is not a field guide, it is truly a reference guide as the title clearly states. It is a large format hardcover (with dust jacket) book printed on high quality glossy paper. This is a book that you study at home and maybe keep in the car as a reference.
In summary it is a worthy addition to any birders library and a book that would make its namesake (that is Roger not Rodger) Tory Peterson proud.
Average customer rating:
- This is a Wonderful Story!
- A realistic fantasy
- Ever hear of the Tain Bo Culainge
- Patricia Finney's first book a brilliantly realistic fantasy
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A Shadow of Gulls
Patricia Finney
Manufacturer: Putnam
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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Firedrake's Eye
ASIN: 0399119795 |
Customer Reviews:
This is a Wonderful Story!.......2002-07-05
The first book in the double-book series of Lugh the Harper is quite wonderful. The detail the author offers is remarkable. The story is a fantasy in some respects, but it is also realistic. It's a story of love and vengeance, honour and cowardice, treachery and bravery quite like none I've read before. If you would like to know what this very distant past was like in the island of Ireland, you will certainly get a good idea by reading this book.he incidents and battles that occurred are remembered from legend and they are very carefully and completely described by this very talented author. Because the story is told in the first person by the narrator, who is Lugh, it gives a really personal slant to these events, and we as readers become directly involved. Luckily I have the sequel The Crow Goddess waiting for me to read right away. I truly want to find out what happens after the famous battle of Erin and Ulster in the second century AD.
A realistic fantasy.......2002-05-17
An historical novel with more in common with fantasy than is usual, though mercifully free of the more annoying cliches and assumptions of that genre. Patricia Finney creates a realistic feeling Ireland at the time of the Roman Empire and weaves her story around Irish myth and legend to stunning effect.
One hesitates to mention her age at the time of the writing of the novel (she was 17) as one does not wish to add a novelty value to what is a unique and exciting novel that will stay with you. The sequel "The Crow Goddess" where the protagonist, Lugh MacRomain, travels to Roman occupied Britain is, if anything, better. Buy both immediatley.
Ever hear of the Tain Bo Culainge.......2000-08-04
The Tain Bo Culainge (Cattle raid of Cooley) often simply called the Tain, is the greatest story of the Cycle of the Red Branch Knights, a noble cycle of poems from ancient Ireland. It told the tales of the Celtic knights and their brave battles with human foe and with non- humans as well. This book is the tale of the Tain told from an interesting point of view, a potential mate of Maeve of Connaught who cannot be corn king because he crashes his sportscar (or the local version anyway - his chariot). It is a good rendition of the story and well worth a read. If you don't think you like ancient irish mythology, then forget all the above - all you need to know is that it's a brilliant and exciting story. You will want to read the sequel afterwards -the crow goddess.
Patricia Finney's first book a brilliantly realistic fantasy.......1999-11-07
The Shadow of Gulls is Patricia Finney's first book, written while she was still a teenager. As such it is an amazing achievement. She has managed to blend celtic mythology and with realistic characters to produce a book superior to most in its genre. The plot centers arround Lugh Mac Romain, a harper and warrior in 1st century Ireland. Lugh is unwittingly made King of Connaught but escapes the inevitable ritual death by being lamed in battle after fleeing Connaught. However he earns the implacable hatred of Maeve Queen of Connaught and her persuit of him drives the plot of this book and its sequel ( Crow Goddess). Only bettered by its sequel, together they make a superb read.
Average customer rating:
- Well observed shore and barnyard portraits by James Wyeth.
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Gulls, Ravens and a Vulture
Victoria Woodhull
Manufacturer: Down East Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 0918749166 |
Customer Reviews:
Well observed shore and barnyard portraits by James Wyeth. .......2007-01-23
When the Stern Librarian is not diligently reading through the never-ending contents of her magic book bag, she likes to take long, leisurely ambles by the shore. If there is any lovelier sight than the Stern Librarian on the beach nearsightedly staring out to the horizon, it is a herring gull soaring overhead (unless of course I have just washed my car or am indulging a very rare craving for French fries). James Wyeth's paintings capture the beauty of gulls, while not ignoring their shrewish, greedy temperaments. This beautiful book also contains paintings of ravens, crows, chickens and geese, as well as two intriguing essays by naturalists. I learned that gull populations have increased in Maine since the 17th century, because gulls will eat almost anything (including other gulls) and fly great distances for garbage. The essay on ravens reveals that the measures James Wyeth had to take to study these elusive creatures in nature were not pretty, though the resulting art is so. This book also pointed out to me a hitherto unknown connection between James Wyeth and Andy Warhol (James one of two artists invited to work at Warhol's factory), a connection which is very apparent in the chicken paintings. The Stern Librarian was privileged to have her copy of this book inscribed by James Wyeth himself at a very giving holiday appearance at the Farnsworth Museum. The Stern Librarian (I am generous with free bookmarks).
Book Description
Her wings burdened by an oil slick, a seagull struggles to the nearest port to lay her final egg. Exhausted, she lands on a balcony where Zorba the cat is sunning himself. She extracts three extraordinary promises from him: that he will watch over the egg, that he will not EAT the egg, and that, when it's time, he will teach the baby gull to fly. The first two promises are hard enough, but the third one is surely impossible. Isn't it?
Customer Reviews:
A must have for Children.......2005-04-15
Kengah is a gull on a journey to lay an egg where, when hatched, the chick would grow and thrive safely. Zorba, a coal-black cat, is anticipating a month's vacation from his human friend.
But when Kengah's wings are weighed down by an oil slick, she aborts her travel plans and struggles to the nearest port to lay her final egg. Kengah is able to fly to the balcony of a nearby apartment building where she meets Zorba. As Kengah lays dying, Zorba promises three things; that he will not eat the egg, he will watch over the egg, and when it's time, he will teach the chick to fly. Zorba is a cat with a sense of honor and with three cat friends, struggles to learn about gulls so he will be able to keep his promise to the dying gull.
The Story of a Seagull and the Cat Who Taught Her to Fly by Luis Sepulved is an extraordinary tale about the lengths a parent will go for a child. It is beautifully written with compassion and humor. It proves that when commitment, honor and love are involved, great differences can be overcome.
The black and white illustrations are amazing. This is a book for ages 8-12 and one that parents will want to read to and share with their children. This book and its message are so beautiful that it should have a permanent place in that special child's library. I love this book!
Wonderful to Read Aloud.......2004-07-14
I read this book to my 7 year old twin girls, and the three of us loved it. The vocabulary, the humor, the characters were all wonderful. I have high hopes that the author will continue to write children's books.
Average customer rating:
- Ebb & Flo and the Greedy Gulls
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Ebb & Flo and the Greedy Gulls
Manufacturer: Aladdin
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Binding: Paperback
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Ebb and Flo and the New Friend (Ebb & Flo)
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Ebb and Flo and the Baby Seal
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Daisy and the Moon
ASIN: 0689858108 |
Book Description
It isn't fair!
Ebb and Flo and their friend Bird are having a peaceful day at the beach until Flo's sandwiches disappear. Flo blames Ebb -- but she didn't do it! Ebb doesn't think it's fair to be blamed for something she didn't do so she goes off by herself to sulk. But just when Flo discovers who the real sandwich-nappers are, a terrible storm begins -- and Ebb is missing! Flo is worried and desperately wants to find her friend. Will Ebb and Flo -- and their friendship -- weather this storm?
Customer Reviews:
Ebb & Flo and the Greedy Gulls.......2000-12-04
Ebb is a dog and Flo, a girl of 6-9 years old is her owner. They picnic at the beach, and seagulls steal their lunch. Flo blames Ebb, and Ebb, who is innocent, goes to sulk in their boat. A storm drives the boat out to sea and it crashes on some rocks. When Flo recovers Ebb, she apologizes for falsely accusing her dog. Pastel illustrations capture the mood and delight the eye with textures that will make one feel he or she is at the beach. Young readers will identify with Ebb, if they have been falsely accused, and it will spark memories of joyful trips to the shore.
Book Description
Part memoir, part polenic, it represents the side of Islam that is left out of the daily newspaper. For Asma Hasan being a Muslin is not merely a matter of birth, but a matter of choice.
Customer Reviews:
Agrees with my version of Islam.......2006-11-27
I don't know, maybe it is the age, level of professional education, version of Islam one is exposed to, whatever the reason, Asma's version of Islam is the one I know and practice. I converted to Islam about 12 years ago at the age of 30 after practicing Islamic Sufism for 10 years. The Islam I know is feminist, open minded and requires no hijab from its female adherents - in fact we are expresseley taught not to veil ourselves! Good for you Asma! I hope more young professionals will speak out who have found this modern, kinder, gentler form of Islam. And, by the way, in regard to another reviewer, I do believe if the prophet were alive today he would be well versed on the internet and would have no trouble sitting in a room with Jesus, Moses and Buddha sharing a cup of tea! Archaic, fundamentalist versions of Islam will fade just as the crusades did. We will still have a few rabid adherents, like Christianity's Pat Robertson, but Islam will mature and become mainstream as it ages.
Personal and genuine dialogue with the average reader.......2006-09-27
Wow there are some seriously vicious people in here. Ah to be objective...the claim of many but the accomplishment of the few!
I just finished reading this book, and it was overall an enjoyable experience. This is not an in-depth view or history of Islam. It is what the title says... Why the author, the person, herself, is Muslim!
For someone wanting more or searching deep insight, it could be better researched, it could be a bit deeper. Some of it went slow and i had to fast-forward through those parts.
But this book is a personal conversation between the author and the average person unfamiliar with Islam, and comes from the author's heart and mind.
Despite the subjective nature of the title and book, Hasan is objective and logically explains her views along with her personal experiences.
It was an enjoyable read, taught me a couple of things, made me understand her viewpoint, and had genuinely touching and moving and deep moments in it.
It's worth the good parts and touching moments and insight.
Personal Perspective Lacking in Solid Scholarship.......2006-07-20
This is a book that gives a great look into a young Muslim woman, and what it's like to be a young Muslim woman in America. It's not a book that gives a great look at Islam.
It reads like an apology for Islam. Which is not bad- but it's not the kind of apology many Muslims would agree with. Hasan has found an extreme liberal theological approach, and advocates this as normative for Islam. Ironically, she speaks of the strength of Islam as it's incredible diversity. But most of the groups within Islam wouldn't accept most of what she has to say. In order to justify Islam for the modern American mind, she has had to reject many of the historical interpretations of Islam and the Qur'an. Which doesn't make her approach wrong- it just makes it not the Islam that most Muslims would be talking about. Repeatedly statements she makes would be rejected by Shi'i, conservative Muslims, militant Muslims, folk Muslims, and secular Muslims in the Middle East- groups that together comprise most of the Dar al Islam. She has taken Islam and Christianized it- remolding it to fit into the Christian ideals of the good, so that the religion is quite palatable to the Christian mind because it suddenly upholds all the Christian values.
Again, this is an apology for Islam, so those looking for a balanced view of religions should look elsewhere. While espousing tolerance and acceptance, Hasan finds everything she can to support Islam for the liberal American mind, and anything to detract from other religions. Even when she quotes the Bible, she will not give it credit, but instead refer to it as a "popular saying". Her scholarship is very weak, as she will accept any Hadith or story that supports her worldview, with a grudging nod to the weakness of the Hadith. This isn't good Islamic scholarship or solid Western scholarship.
The positives of this book are that it shows the experiences of a young Muslim woman in America, and that can be helpful. But since the vision of Islam is so inaccurate, I would suggest you look elsewhere for these experiences, such as in Bint Arab.
Shows richness of Islam.......2006-03-24
I loved this book and have given it to several people as gifts. Most non-Muslims are fairly ignorant about Islam beyond what they read in the newspaper. I have read some books that give some of the factual information about Islam, but the beauty of this book is that it it is a window into the mind, heart, and soul of what it is to a Muslim woman. It is an engaging and easy to read story about the richness of Islam. I have quoted the part where Hasan says that growing up she did not hear that the sure path to Paradise was martyrdom. She heard from the sayings of the Prophet that the man who educates his daughter(s) is guaranteed Paradise. A nice corrective to the picture we get from the media which portrays only the most extremist and puritanical views.
A lucid guide to Islam that covers the basics.......2006-03-15
As an English woman (Christian) who has lived in Saudi Arabia for many years, I found Asma Gull Hasan's presentation of her Islamic faith lucid and enlightening. It is written in a lively, conversational style, and she includes many anecdotes from her childhood and schooldays to illustrate the descriptions of Islamic belief and philosophy. As I have studied Islam intensively in both informal and academic settings, this book was a little too rudimentary for me - Ms. Hasan presents a 'short and simple' version of Islam for the benefit of the Western reader who is new to the subject.
Theologically, I disagree with Ms. Hasan on several counts, and there are many fellow Muslim women who have argued against her interpretations of the Qur'an - the journalist and author Saraji Umm Zaid being one of the most prominent. Complicated theological quibbles apart, the best thing about Ms Hasan's writing is that it successfully illustrates that there are hundreds of different views and perspectives within Islam. A lot of Western readers approach Islam and the Qur'an just like the Muslim fundamentalists do: they assume that the Qur'an definitely says a certain thing that has got to be taken in a certain way, and that all Muslims must accept that thing or else they are hypocrites. This just isn't the case - Islam has its different denominations, just as Christianity does, and there are lots of possible ways of interpreting an old classical Arabic text. "Why I Am a Muslim" is one woman's personal exploration of those possibilities, not a definitive textbook on all things Islamic. It should be accepted as such. Don't condemn it just because it doesn't contain what you expected to find, as your expectations probably aren't that well-informed to start with.
As for the reviewer who declares that he was upset that this book contains nothing on the cartoon controversy, I suggest that he take a look at the publication date. The cartoon controversy erupted in 2006. Ms. Hasan's book is several years old. What did he expect her to do - predict the future and write a response to it?
Book Description
The Second Edition of Peter Grant's guide has been extensively revised and has been reset throughout. Importantly, a further eight species of gulls occurring on the west coasts of Canada and the USA have been added.
The book now covers 31 species and has been increased in length from 280 to 352 pages. More than 280 new photographs have been added or substituted, bringing the total to 544, including 79 photographs for the eight North American additional species.
The great increase in interest in gull identification since the publication of the first edition (and the author's series on that topic in British Birds) has helped bring much new information to light. As a result some revision was made to almost every text page and most of the identification drawings were improved in some way; in addition, changes were made to many of the distribution maps. These revisions and improvements were often quite minor, but others were substantial and important (see the author's Introduction).
Until recently gulls were widely regarded as a difficult group and identification and ageing was often inaccurate or uncertain. This was largely due to the complexities of immature plumages, which of necessity were generally unrepresented in standard field guides. Birdwatchers need no longer be deterred or confounded by that deficiency. The book offers them the opportunity to advance their skill in field identification by accepting the challenge rather than shrinking from the difficulties.
Customer Reviews:
No longer the best gull ID book but still indispensable.......2007-09-21
I think Olsen and Larsson's Gulls of North America, Europe and Asia has just eclipsed Grant's book as the premier Gull guide but Grant is still excellent and in some ways better. Grant has excellent writren descriptions for identification purposes but the individual species accounts are far more detailed in Olsen and Larsson. That might not be of importance to all that just want a gull guide, the critical difference is in the illustrations. Grant has fewer illustrations, all in black and white, Oleson and Larsson have colored illustrations and show more plummages.
I do like this book better for comparisons with the black and white illustrations. For example it is much easier to compare juvenile Little Gull, Black-legged Kittiwake, Ross's Gull, and Sabine's Gull in Grant than in the larger Oleson and Larsson as this book groups them together in one section.
Both of these books are better classified as reference books rather than field guides but this book is slighter and easier to carry around to the lake or seashore than Oleson and Larsson.
This is an excellent book and very worthwhile to have if you are willing to work on gull identification.
Great descriptions and photos leave you wishing for more........1999-02-25
This is it: this book will enable you to master the gulls. This book, and hundreds or thousands of hours studying the birds, that is. Gulls are a pain, and no book can change that. But Grant does a good job spelling out everything you're going to need to figure out. The hundreds of photographs (inappropriate for a field guide, but perfect for a supplemental guide) are themselves a reason to buy this book: they're not art, but they will show you how much you can and sometimes cannot tell the various species apart.
It's actually a shame this is the best gull book there is, because the focus is very British. Species that do not occur in Europe or Asia get reduced treatment (those from western North America) or none at all (those that are normally confined to the Southern Hemisphere). So the description of, say, the Yellow-footed Gull is adequate, Thayer's Gull inadequate, and some Latin American species that stray occasionally to the U.S., nonexistent. But with the exception of the Thayer's Gull the book deals very well with the more difficult problems a North American gull watcher is likely to encounter.
If you think gulls are no fun, Grant isn't going to change your mind. But if you want to tell them apart, get this book.
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